Luca Belfioretti, Site Manager

27th January 2009

Construction is going very well: the speed of the work is increasing and the workers are getting used to reaching high standards

Just a few weeks ago one plank was resewn five times before it was good enough! But now I only have to check things once and they’re right. And now that we have actually finished the first three strakes – which are probably the most difficult parts of the boat to fit – the work has got a little easier. There is now more space to work so the rope-workers can be working on one side of the boat, while the carpenters can be getting on with their jobs on the other side. This means that when the rope-workers finish one side the carpenters already have the next planks steamed, shaped and fitted all ready to be sewn.

And now that we have got this far and attached all these planks the boat is really starting to look like a boat. But not an ordinary one, the most beautiful living creature in the world! I’m joking, but it’s really good to see the boat coming to life and growing.

The beauty and the fascination of this boat comes from seeing it all come together. The colour of the wood, the patterns created by the stitching, lines and shapes running along the length of the boat joining it all together to create this wonderful whole. It’s unique after all! And I can see this in other people at the shipyard as well, because I can see the Omani workers getting closer to the boat, becoming more interested, they’re really starting to make this their project. When they started it was just hard work, and now it’s hard work and a passion.